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Elucidation of the mechanism of vitamin A potentiation of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6070620
Male SD rats were given Vitamin A daily for 7 days by oral gavage. 24 hr after the last dose of Vitamin A, they were then challenged with CCl/sub 4/. Ethane, as a marker of lipid peroxidation, was measured during the first 2 hr and hepatic injury was assessed at 24 hr after CCl/sub 4/. There was approximately 5-fold increase in ethane exhalation and 17-fold increase in Plasma GPT activity in Vitamin A/CCl/sub 4/ group. There was also increase in the incidence of hepatocellular necrosis. Vitamin A pretreatment did not increase the metabolism of /sup 14/CCl/sub 4/ as examined by the amount of exhaled /sup 14/CO/sub 2/, and the covalent binding of /sup 14/C-equivalents to liver lipids and proteins. In addition, liver levels of Vitamin E or GSH were not changed by Vitamin A. Electron microscopic analysis of livers from Vitamin A treated rats revealed activated Kupffer cells. To determine if the Kupffer cells were functionally more active, the clearance of intravenously administered colloidal carbon from the blood of Vitamin A treated rats was compared to that of control rats.
Research Organization:
Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA)
OSTI ID:
6070620
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English